Interface
by AlexChiiru
Summary: One moment, arguing over shoes with her boyfriend, the next, a face to face meeting with Ezio! What's going on? As Alyssa discovers her apparent past, new revelations make the situation a bit more strange than one would think! R&R, please.
1. Ch 1 What is wrong with you?

Ch. 1

He told me about two to three weeks ago that he would buy me some new shoes. His money would arrive on the first. When the first rolled around, he took me to the movies. Some horror flick. Initially I was upset over his, how should I say, _man-paws_ all over me while I was trying to watch the damn movie. Afterwards, he had told me that he would pick me up after work on Wednesday to buy new shoes. I'm not one to obsess over shoes, in fact, the shoes I always wore to work were going on three years old and starting to fall apart, so much that Issac demanded that he buy me new ones. I sighed and gave in. If it was just me, I would have had to hold on the purchase, my measly income was quickly conquered by the bills I had to pay, so any luxuries were put on the back burner.

Issac came strolling into the store around three-thirty. I turned red, because he was not supposed to visit me at work.

"Would you like to come have pizza tonight?" he asked.

"Sure, why not? But... I thought we were going shopping tonight?" I replied.

"About that... I won't be able to get you your shoes."

"Why?"

"I don't have the money."

"But...you said...forget it. Fine, let's eat," I said with an aggravated sigh.

He left, and I was left alone to ask, "why?"

I drove home after closing the store, still asking why I was deceived. Why did we go to the movies, then? Annoyed, I cleaned myself up. Fifteen minutes later, Issac picked me up, and we drove to his house in silence. He tried to grasp my hand, and I let him, although I felt nothing. I wondered how I felt so cold over a pair of shoes, and the realization hit me, _I never really felt all that attached to him, even in the several months we spent together!_ I always felt my heart was bound to another, and that person was not Issac...

We spoke lightly over dinner, slightly excited over new revelations at E3. We were both game nuts, for sure, but the nagging and tugging at my heart was unbearable. I decided to change the subject.

"Sorry to bring this up, but if you knew you were short on cash, why did you spend all that dough at the movies?", I eyed him as I spoke.

"I just wanted to make you happy, baby," came his reply.

"You said it yourself, that replacing my ratty old shoes was the first priority...if you can't keep your own priorities..."

He stood up, his face showing obvious signs of anger. "Why are you nagging me?"

Suddenly, a rush of anger hit me, and I stood up as well...

"I'm sorry, but I've been holding this back...and...well...I can't really get attached to you."

"What?"

"I...I can't explain it. I... I have to go!" I grabbed my purse and began to leave.


	2. Ch 2 I'm going home

Ch. 2

"Wait!" I heard him cry out as I walked out the door. "Don't you want a ride home?" I shook my head. I looked to my right, where he had taken up walking at my pace. "Look, I'll call you in the morning. It's been a long, bad day," I said, and kept walking.

By the time I had arrived at my house, the sun had long gone from the spring sky, and I was growing tired. My roommates had greeted me at the door, asking if I was OK. I replied, and thanked them for their courtesy.

"Right now, all I need is a hot shower for my aching legs. I'll fill you two in tomorrow. Ice cream on me." I grinned, and entered my personal bathroom.

The heat from the shower had fogged up the mirror, and I let out a long, relaxed sigh. The water melted away all my cares, and the sudden onset of how tired I really was, was the only motivator for me leaving the shower.

I stepped into the living room in my jammies, a long slinky sleeveless tee, and poofy pajama bottoms. "What are you two fine ladies watching?" I asked, however, just glancing at the TV gave it all away. The G4 logo was on the bottom right of the screen...the multitude of games... they were watching coverage of E3!

Samantha spoke up first. "I found a few things to TIVO while you were out...I think you'll love it!"

"Oh, really?" I sat on the couch, absentmindedly yawning.

"Oh hell yes," Jessica said, commandeering the remote. "Totally up your strange alley."

Jessica hit play. A gorgeous CG cinematic unfolded, of the Italian Renaissance, and primarily focused on a very handsome Italian man. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Was that...Ezio? Oh Lord, a trailer for Assassin's Creed 2!

Samantha's voice brought me back to reality. "It gets better too, check out the game play footage..." I watched, and was entranced! I wanted to watch the trailer again, though. There was something about Ezio..._no, no, snap out of it_, I thought. _He's just pixels_...

"Thanks for showing me those, guys. I'll stop by the store and preorder as soon as I can!" I leaped off the couch, entranced still by the image of the Italian Assassin.

I opened the window in my bedroom for fresh air, and shoo'd the cat from my room...I cannot sleep with that noisy furball...Feeling my exhaustion creeping up on me, I slid into bed, feeling the cold sheets against my skin, and my eyes immediately shut.


	3. Ch 3 A Nightmare?

Ch. 3

I thrashed about in my sleep, having a horrific nightmare descend upon me. It started with what felt like an earthquake, followed by electronic whirring, then voices with distinct Italian accents were in my face, but I was confused...was this English, or Italian? If it was Italian, how could I understand them? Hearing screams from a crowd, and more voices... I wanted to cry out, to scream with them, in an unknown terror. Had my night terrors come back? Or maybe I was way too excited about the new Assassin's Creed? Suddenly, I felt a hand upon my shoulder, gently rocking me...

"Hello? Are you all right, miss? Please, wake up..."

I stirred about, was this the dream? Or was one of my roommates trying to wake me up? _What is going on_? The rocking continued, but the rocking was faster, a little more jarring.

"Miss...please, wake up... Are you all right?"

An Italian accent... _was one of my roommates playing a prank_? I slowly opened my eyes, just to humor her. My eyes immediately met the eyes of another...deep brown eyes, I could just drown in them. This wasn't either of my roommates, in fact, I was nearly face to face with a man!

"Oh, you awake, finally. Are you all right? You had quite a scare back there, miss..."

I stared at him. He was much more handsome than Issac, all right. He gave me a look, indicating he was looking for my name. I fumbled for one, and came up with the only Italian sounding name I could think of.

"Its...ah... Alessandra...Um, what happened to me?" I looked around, to notice I was in a rather nice bed, but still in the pajamas I had gone to bed in. I looked around to find something to cover myself with.

"That is what I should ask you. To be more precise...why were you on the roof? You could have died! You are lucky that I was there to catch your fall." He shook his head at me, but my head began to swim. I looked around, in a daze.

"I...fell...from the roof? I was on a roof?" I was honestly confused, and wondering who this man was. "Do I know you? What is your name, since I gave you mine? I'm sorry for being so confused...it's a story I cannot tell, because I do not know it. I don't know how I got here, how I ended up on the roof, where I am, although I must assume somewhere in Italy..."

He put his finger on my mouth to indicate my silence. My face turned bright red, and I looked down.

"I will answer a few of your questions, but I fear I cannot answer them all, for I am confused as you. My name is Ezio Auditore de Firenze. You are in Venice, Italy. You survived quite a near fatal fall from a nearby roof. The fact you do not remember being up there, or anything before hand is troubling. We are at the house...who's roof you fell from."

My heart stopped. _Ezio Auditore de Firenze_. _Wasn't he the protagonist from Assassin's Creed 2?_ I nodded to the portly woman at the door, who was wringing at a handkerchief nervously, and said, "I apologize for making you worry. I didn't mean to fall off your roof..." Ezio cut me off quickly. "I believe she is more concerned with the manner you dress in. Women don't dress in pants, or...is this a shirt? What is this blouse you wear?" He gently touched my shirt. I turned a bright red. _"_I sleep...in this. I don't normally dress this way in public... but I've apparently misplaced things, like a real dress. I don't know where to go from here, I certainly would cause a scene if I were to leave." Ezio sat up from where he was sitting, and began to pace the room, thinking. After several minutes of dead silence, and me blushing so hard, I could cook an egg off my cheeks, he spoke again.

"Well, Alessandra, we are indeed in a strange position. I do not know you, and the same could be said the other way. Any other man, or woman in the same position, would possibly leave you, or take advantage of you. This is how society is now. But I am noble, and I cannot ignore a beautiful rose such as yourself." _Did he just call me...a rose?_ At this point, I had to make a conscious effort to breathe, and I was trying my hardest to hide my beet red face in the sheets.

"T...th...thank you...." I managed to sputter out.

"If the owner of this house might allow it," he looked back at the nervous wreck at the door, "I would like to stay the evening here, to make sure you are well and unharmed, and in the morning, send for a tailor, to make you a new dress." The woman at the door apparently relented, sighed, and said, "I will prepare the other room." To which Ezio's reply was, "Thank you madame."

When the elder woman left the room, I caught myself staring at Ezio. I tried to look down as fast as I could, but I was too slow.

"You keep staring at me. Is there something you wish to say? Don't lie and say you weren't staring, because I've caught you doing it at least three other times." He gave a slight smirk. I kept my face down, feeling my cheeks burn. I tried to not look at him, but could hear his footsteps coming closer. A finger touched my chin, lifting my face up, making me look at him. I turned even redder, and tried to avoid looking at his eyes, they were so...hypnotizing.

"I, uh... I can't say... I've ever met someone...as, well... as handsome as you are, Ezio." I gave a small, shy smile. "That, and I don't think I've ever been called a rose before."

"I only speak the truth, dear Alessandra. Your name is as gorgeous as you are, as well. I cannot lie to a beautiful woman such as yourself."

"Oh, but you lie to others?" I let out a small giggle.

"That's not what..." his face turned red. I burst out laughing. "What is so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. I think that would be the first time I've seen you turn red." I wiped back the tears that had formed mid laugh. He turned away from me. "Oh, come on. I think this is getting too serious anyway. I really appreciate you saving me. I owe you big time." I chuckled at myself, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Then perhaps, once you get your rest, and recuperate, I can take you to see the sights of Venice! You said you owed me... perhaps I shall take you up on it and your payment might be a date with me." He turned back around, with a slightly childish gleam in his eyes. "Venice is a very beautiful city, you'll find. Romantic or otherwise...there is not one ugly sight in this fair city. Of course, maybe except for those other families..." He trailed off, lost in thought again. I nearly hopped off the bed, but tried to calm myself, as to not look too eager.

"Oh! Of Cou... I mean, I think that would be...a good idea." I wiggled myself back onto my temporary bed. "I look forward to meeting this tailor tomorrow."

A smile spread on Ezio's face. "I will fetch the best tailor Venice has! But, my dear, you need your rest. You appear to be safe, so I will let you sleep without protection. If you need anything, I will be in the next room." I nodded, and got back under the sheets. These feel so nice, I thought, as I passed out again.


	4. Ch 4 First Day of My New Life

Ch. 4

I slept the sleep of the dead, it felt like. But the bright light entering my shut eyes, and the feeling of the cool early morning breeze hit my skin, and my eyes fluttered open once more. _Who gets up this early_? _What time is it_? I asked myself. I looked around the room briefly, but did not spot any sort of clock. I did spot, however, some movement near one of the windows. It was Ezio.

"Good morning, Alessandra. I trust you had a good night's sleep?" A small smile crept on his face.

"Yes. I feel much better this morning." I rubbed my eyes sleepily.

"I am glad to hear it." Ezio walked over to my bed, and took my right hand and kissed it softly. The feeling of burning cheeks returned, just like last night.

"You're quite the gentleman, Ezio. I'm really surprised you're here with me right now, instead of..." I paused for a moment, trying to be careful with my words.

"Instead of what?" He inquired.

"Ah... well, you're just so good looking, I bet all the other women would just die to even spend a minute with you." This made Ezio initially start chuckling, but ended up in full fledged laughter.

"The women here, they are like fine wines, yes. You, you are like a wine from a hidden vineyard. Delicious and mysterious. Dare I say, a little like me. I mean, the mysterious side. I'm not sure if I could be labeled as 'delicious', really." I bit my lip when he said that, not wanting to burst out with a rather obscene (or what could be seen as obscene then) comment.

"You're way too sweet, Ezio." I chuckled and gave him a big smile. My attention was soon diverted from the handsome Italian, to a knock at the front door.

"Oh, that must be the tailor. I will show her to you, and we shall soon be experiencing the wonders of Venice! I will tell her to make you the most gorgeous dress that she can, it is only fitting for a woman of your beauty." He gently kissed my hand again, and went to answer the door. When he left, I burst out in a small giggle, feeling genuinely happy for what seemed to be the first time. _Why didn't I feel like this with Issac?_ I wondered.

In the midst of my thoughts, I heard a bright, cheery voice. "Hello, miss! I am here to take your measurements, and then, I shall make you a very fine dress! Come, come, out of bed, you sleepy girl, and remove your nightgown so I can make accurate measurements!" The tailor seemed to dance about the room, putting cloth and thread and measuring tape all over the room.

"Please, call me Alessandra," I said, as I slowly wiggled my way out of the bed, and started removing my jammies. "I really appreciate this. I bet you make very beautiful clothes!" I folded my pants, and my shirt, and put them on the bed, and moved toward the tailor.

"It was no trouble at all, miss Alessandra. The pleasure is all mine. Mister Auditore is a very nice young man. And from such nobility of the Firenze's..."

I stood there and listened to the old tailor speak of Ezio. I forgot, he comes from a noble family, I recalled. When the tailor asked me to move, I did so, and tried to think of a good question for her, to determine Ezio's personality.

"So, does Ezi...I mean, Mister Auditore, do this often? I mean, pay for new dresses for women?" The tailor marked off a few notches on her measuring tape and continued, but shook her head. "No, he does not. He is a very decent and well mannered young man, very bold and adventurous though. While he does flirt with the young ladies, he does not go out of his way to spend an extravagant amount on any one or thing, just for a lost woman with a missing dress. No offense to you, dear." I shook my head. "None taken...So, this is sort of unexpected for Ezio?" I arched an eyebrow. The old woman nodded. "It seems that he shows some fancy toward you, miss Alessandra. You are blessed, indeed. Having a noble man such as he, to show interest in you." She nodded to herself, and finally finished measuring all the areas needed; bust, waist, hips, height.

"I am done measuring now. However, we are not quite done. I have brought some cloth I would like to compare, to see what would look best on you. Stand still." The tailor rummaged about the room grabbing all her swatches of cloth. In what felt like hours, we had spent discussing cloth, color and type of dress. I felt the familiar pang of hunger hit me and I nearly fell.

"Oh, miss Alessandra! Are you all right? Do you need me to get Mister Ezio?" She rushed toward me, worried.

"No, no, I'm fine...I just need some food. I haven't eaten...in... I forgot how long it's been." I sat back down on the bed. "I think we've discussed enough for now... do you have an idea of what kind would look best for me? I don't mean to rush or anything."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Yes, I believe I have. It will compliment your features magnificently! I will take my things and leave for now, and I will return when I am nearly finished, to make sure it fits just right, which should be in a day or two. So please be patient with me."

"I will, thank you very much, ma'am." As she left, I put my jammies back on. I did not want Ezio to see me in my underwear. _How scandalous, considering the era I'm apparently in_, I silently mouthed to myself.

I finished 'dressing', to the extent that I could, and looked out the closest window. The sun was shining brightly on men and women in the streets. They were talking and laughing, mostly going about their business. _So, am I really stuck here? How did I end up here_? The biggest thought in my head, however, was the thought of Ezio. _Why is he attracted to me? I'm not that great looking._

"You know, when you look out the window like that, you look like you could be a damsel in a painting." I nearly jumped, and then I realized Ezio had snuck into the room while I was looking out the window.

"Oh God, Ezio! You nearly scared the pants off me! I didn't even hear you!" I playfully smacked his shoulder, and stuck my tongue out at him. As I tried to retract my hand after the smack, he quickly grabbed my wrist, and spun me around, so that he was right behind me. A slight giggle escaped my lips. I could feel him so close to me, his head was so near my neck. I bit my lip, as he gently sniffed at my neck and gave it a soft kiss. I could feel the burning rise to my cheeks again, and then..._Urgle gurgle_....

"Oh, no," I said, and covered my face with my palm.

"Alessandra, when was the last time you ate?" He lowered my arm, and turned me to look at him.

"I couldn't really tell you. But I am very hungry." He frowned at me.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I will go out and get some bread and some meat. Please don't leave the house. Not yet, at least." He gave me a small hug, and a quick peck on my forehead, and hurried out of the room.


	5. Ch 5 Food and blushes

Ch. 5

When Ezio left, I walked back over to the window. It was so busy out there, and the weather seemed great. _What a change from Arizona_, I said to myself. Pigeons crowded the areas of the streets where people rarely tread, and the sound of their coos echoed through the alleys and into my ears. _This is much more peaceful than I had imagined_. I sighed contentedly. I tried running my hand through my hair, but unfortunately I discovered knots, and I winced in pain when I hit one.

"Crap. I need a brush," I said out loud, and started searching the room for one. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, I decided to ask the lady of the house if she had a spare. She smiled at me, seemingly either used to my presence, or genuinely happy to see me, and scurried off to a closet, and produced a plain brush. I thanked her, and went back up stairs to my room, and stood before the small mirror on the desk, and started getting the kinks out of my hair.

It took several minutes of yanking, pulling and nearly screaming in frustration to get all the snarls out of my hair. I took some water from the wash basin near me and half heartedly cleaned the brush. I was too irritated to give it a nice thorough cleaning. _I don't have lice, so it's not a big deal._ My stomach began to growl again. _Calm down, stomach, I'm sure Ezio will be here soon. Then we will fill you 'til you want to explode_! I walked back to the window, and started to daydream of back home. _Do they know I'm gone? Am I in some kind of coma back in my own time? Great, Issac is going to call me the liar this time, and ice cream with my room mates... Shit._

"Again, by the window. You like the view?" Ezio's voice again, but instead of being at the door, he was right behind me. _How the hell did he get right behind me without me noticing?_ "It feels as if you are a caged bird, I think. You look at the sky, and the view, because you feel you are trapped. But fear not, _la mia bella rosa_. Soon, you will have your wings again." I looked down, and realized his arms were loosely wrapped around my shoulders, and in his right hand, was a single red rose. I turned red again, but I didn't just blush. A single tear came from each of my eyes. I tried to wipe them away before he noticed. "Oh, please, do not cry." He squeezed me a little tighter.

"Its not that I am sad, I think this is a very beautiful rose. I've just... I've never been treated so nicely in my life." I sniffled as more tears came. I tried to stop them, but they kept coming. "It's not you at all, I think you're a wonderful man, Ezio. I apologize for this outburst of emotion. I'm just not used to it."

"That is perfectly fine, Alessandra. But before you become too overwhelmed, let us eat. It's something simple, but it should do the trick until we get back to my home." I blinked, and wiped away the remaining tears from my eyes and nodded to him. We went downstairs, and all of us, the old woman as well, ate. It was small indeed but it was very delicious.

"What is this?" I asked.

"They call it 'stuffed eggs'." Ezio said, as he finished his last egg, and wiped his mouth. "I will save the rest of these until tomorrow, so we can have some more, in case you get hungry again." He gave me a soft smile. I smiled back, and looked down again, feeling myself shy up once again.

I excused myself from the table, and went back upstairs to watch the sun set. _Yes, this indeed was a lot better than Arizona._

"Alessandra," I heard Ezio behind me. _I guess if he wants me to know he's behind me, I'll know._ I turned around to face him. "I must take my leave for the next day and a half. Do not worry, I will be back in time to see you in your wonderful new dress. Again, I must ask you to stay indoors, and if you feel hungry, which I am sure you will, please feel free to ask the lady of the house."

I smiled and nodded. "I can't wait until you come back. Please, Ezio. Be safe. " He swiftly moved from the door of the room, to me. I felt his strong arms wrap around me, and I looked up at him. He was a lot taller than I thought! He lightly kissed my forehead, and my cheeks. My face turned red again. _Gosh, I need to stop blushing so damn much!_ And as soon as I knew it, he was gone. _He's pretty __fast..._

I sat by the window, and watched the beautiful sun set. Although I absolutely loved privacy, now that Ezio had left, I felt more alone than I had ever before. After the sun had fully set, I decided to open the window to let in fresh air. A warm breeze met my face, and I sighed. Stepping away from the window, I spotted the rose Ezio had left for me. I picked it up gently, smelled it, and closed my eyes. Suddenly, I felt tears slowly tracing their way down my face. I put the rose down, and collapsed on the bed, crying. I felt so lonely, but why? Ezio hadn't even been gone more than four hours, at most, and I sure as hell never cried over being away from Issac..._Why does it seem like I care more for Ezio? It's too soon to feel for...he's not even real! Ezio is supposed to be some polygons and pixels on a video game console!_


	6. Ch 6 Loneliness

Ch. 6

I ended up passing out early from crying so hard. I was always the strong, silent type, but I think all of the stress, first with Issac, then apparently being shoved into this situation with Ezio, to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. When I awoke, I noticed some food on the table nearest to the hallway. The old woman must have felt sorry for me, and fed me. _I can't reason with that sort of kindness_.

As I sat at the table, eating the food the woman left me, I tried my hardest to think of how I got in this situation. I recalled my 'former' self arguing with Issac, walking home, watching videos for Assassin's Creed 2, and then falling asleep. And then, I was here. I could not see any reason for me being here. And now? I am a lost woman, not even a penny to my name, temporarily living at an elderly woman's home, and being forced to rely on a man to take care of me. _This isn't me at all!_ I grabbed my empty dishes and headed downstairs to help clean them, and to give the old woman my thanks.

I decided to spend some time with the woman instead of cooping myself up in the upstairs room. Plus, I am sure the woman was lonely. We spent most of the day cleaning the house, dusting and washing things. As we sat down for dinner, I thanked her again.

"I know I may not seem like a conventional woman, but..." I started.

"Think nothing of it, my dear. As a matter of fact, I used to be a lot like you, even though it may not seem so." She nodded with a matter-of-fact air. I sat straight up. "Really?" My eyes went wide.

"Mm, yes. I was never for old fashioned things. I was quite rebellious as a young lady. That's why my husband, my God have mercy on his soul, courted and then eventually married me." She smiled, remembering all the times she shared with her husband.

"That is such a beautiful thing!" I said. "Your husband sounds like he was a wonderful man."

"Yes, he was very wonderful. This is why I am happy when you and that young man are around. You two remind me of us, when we were younger. You two look good together, and perhaps, may I be so bold as to say, that you two look like you were meant to be together." My heart fluttered at the thought of spending however long I had here, with Ezio. She spoke up again, pulling me out of my daydream. "The tailor should be by tomorrow afternoon. Please do not worry for your young suitor. He will be back soon afterwards. Please, feel free to come visit me at any time."

I let out a small yawn, but covered it with my hand, to be polite. I bid the woman good night, and climbed the stairs to 'my' room, and stared out the window again. The sun had long set, and it was nice to see scenery that wasn't all desert and cactus. I hummed a song to myself, to stave away any kind of depression, just in case. I felt a little better, but I was still feeling a bit confused, and of course, lonely. _I wonder what life would be with Ezio? _I wondered.


	7. Ch 7 Waiting is Over

Ch. 7

I fell asleep that night with the window open, and the sound of gentle talking from the streets below that wafted through made me doze off rather quickly. The next morning, I was greeted by chirps and coos, from birds that someone below was feeding. I shot out of bed, realizing that today the tailor, and then Ezio, would come by. _I can leave the house soon! Yes!_ I went downstairs and ate a light breakfast with the woman, who's name, I discovered, was Isabella. After breakfast, I tried to to keep myself busy for most of the morning, by helping Isabella with more cleaning. By the time it was noon, my stomach was full of butterflies, and I just couldn't eat. I decided to try to nap a little, and sat on the bed upstairs. I managed to yawn a little, and plopped onto my back, staring at the ceiling. Somehow, I did end up falling asleep, but I was plagued by some sort of audio-only nightmare. I thought I caught the voice of an older man, saying "...Need....Hurry this up, L...", and being cut off. I heard the title "Subject seventeen" and "Subject twenty" being used. _Subject seventeen...from Assassin's Creed? Wasn't that Desmond? Who is subject twenty? What the hell..._ I caught a few more words, "Interfacing with Alpha Animus", and woke up with a gasp, covered in a cold sweat. What kind of night terrors was I having now? _It can't be night terrors, in fact, judging by the light, it's only three in the afternoon..._Suddenly I remembered that the tailor was coming soon. All thoughts of my nightmare were shoved to the side. I sat down at the desk and brushed my hair. I figured I should look somewhat decent for when the tailor and Ezio showed up.

Not even twenty minutes or so after I woke up from my hellish nightmare, the tailor arrived. Full of what seemed like limitless energy, her happy, bubbly personality sort of infected me, and I was excited to see and wear what she had made.

"Oh, miss Alessandra! I am very glad to be here again, this time with my completed work!" She sang.

"I can't wait to see it, ma'am." I smiled.

"Come, up to your room. We don't want you exposing yourself." She gently pushed me toward the stairs. When we reached the room, she told me to do what I had done before. I nodded, removing my clothes, folding them, and putting them on the bed. She went back downstairs for a minute, and I could have sworn I heard another voice that was neither the tailors or Isabella's. I shrugged and waited for the tailor to come back up.

When she came back, I just about squealed in surprise. She had carried up a long, flowing dress, in shades of dark green, jade, and emerald. The dress was a little lower cut at the top, to show some of the chest, but not enough to be considered in bad taste.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

"And made just for you. Please, put it on, so that I may put some final touches on it." She smiled.

It took what felt like fifteen minutes to put the damn thing on, probably because I had absolutely no idea how to put on such a gorgeous dress.

"Oh my, miss Alessandra, this looks absolutely perfect on you!" The tailor cried out. "You were indeed made to wear this dress! Mister Auditore will just fall in love with you as soon as he sees you. But, until then, I need you to stand still yet again. If you move, I might accidentally prick you with my needle."

I tried as hard as I could to stand still, as she made small adjustments to the dress. I felt like some kind of princess. But, there was something I was missing. Shoes. I didn't have any on when I first woke up, and there were no shoes in the room I inhabited. I couldn't go outside barefoot, that's for sure. I decided to keep this issue to myself.

"There we go! You are a very well behaved young woman, Alessandra. Oh, how you look like a queen. Mister Auditore would be proud." I blushed when she mentioned Ezio. "As a matter of fact," the tailor added, "I believe you have a visitor." I slowly turned around, and saw a familiar grinning face. Ezio! He walked up to me, took my hand, and kissed it softly. I tried my best to not blush, but I failed miserably.

"Ah, miss Alessandra. You look more beautiful than the sunrise."

"Thank you." I managed to say, without stuttering this time.

"I trust you did not get into any trouble while I was away?" He gave me a wink and a sly grin. I watched as the tailor hurried downstairs.

"I could ask you the same thing, Ezio." I grinned back. He chuckled.

"Oh, I always behave myself. Especially when I am near you."

"So, that means you were making mischief..."

"Well, if you put it like that, my dear..." I began to laugh as he spoke these words.

"Ha! I was right then, you troublema..." He took my hand and and pulled me closer to him. My face felt so hot, that I could possibly set something on fire.

"With you, Alessandra, I feel as if I could be king of the world." He smiled and looked into my eyes. I couldn't look away, I was so drawn to him.

He leaned in, getting closer to me. _Don't ruin it, you ninny!_ I thought, and I closed my eyes. In what felt like an eternity, my heart rate increased, sending a heavy 'thud, thud, thud' in my ears, and then, it happened. I felt his soft but firm lips touch mine, and that was it, I melted into his arms. He lifted his head back up, and raised his right hand to brush away some of my hair, which had fallen over my face. He leaned in again, giving me a short, but breathtaking kiss.

"I know one, no, make that two things, that you are missing." He whispered to me.

"Oh? What's that?" I giggled.

"Stay right there, my rose. I will show you." He stepped away slowly, and walked out of the room. _I wonder what he's doing..._I asked myself. _If he decided to run off... like that...well, maybe I'm just a bad kisser..._ I became nervous, and went back to the window, as had become a habit for me when I was feeling down.

"Ah, no escaping through the window, darling." Ezio whispered in my ear. I nearly jumped. _Damn it, there he goes again! How can I not hear him?_ Turning around to face him, my eyes were distracted by something...shiny, that he was hiding behind him.

"What is this, Ezio?" I tried looking around him.

"Ahh Ahh. No. Close your eyes." He smiled. "Consider it to be one of many gifts."

I closed my eyes. I felt cold metal touch my neck and chest, and I immediately knew what it was, a necklace. "Okay, Alessandra, you may open them." I opened my eyes, and my jaw nearly dropped. The necklace looked to be made of pure gold, with a gorgeous design twirling the chain.

"Oh, no, I can't accept this, Ezio... I just, can't. I'm not worth that..." A tear streaked down my cheek. Ezio leaned in and gave me a long, passionate kiss.

"Do not be so hard on yourself, my rose. You are priceless. All I can wish, is that I can be found as worthy for you." My face turned beet red. "Ah, but that is not all, love. I saw that you seemed to be missing some shoes, so I took the liberty of purchasing some for you. I hope you like them." He pointed at the magnificently designed shoes, and I ran over to them, and tried them on. They fit perfectly. But, how did he know?

"I love them, Ezio. But how did you know to get this size?" I stared at him in amazement.

"A gentleman doesn't reveal his secrets, my dear." He grinned playfully.

"Oh, is that how it is, then?" I made a pout-y face towards him.

"Yes, indeed, Alessandra. Now, that you're dressed, and looking absolutely breathtaking, let us go out. I will show you Venice, and hopefully, have a good time." He bowed, and took my hand again.

"All right, that sounds good. Ezio?" I said softly.

"Yes?"

"I'm glad...that you found me." I smiled shyly, and looked at him.

"And I am glad too... I think that you have renewed my life again, Alessandra." I stood up from where I was sitting on the bed, and walked with him, out into the afternoon, and into my new life. But where was this new life to lead? If it was with Ezio, I didn't care. For once, I was happy.


	8. Ch 8 Ah, Venice

Ch. 8

As I walked beside Ezio along the Canale Grande, I couldn't help but smile. We spent hours looking at the architecture, and enjoying ourselves.

"You were right, Ezio. Venice is very beautiful." I said, as I clung to his arm.

"But not as beautiful as you, Alessandra." He smiled. We kept walking, between the canal, alleys and side streets. I was absolutely enthralled with the architecture, and on more than one occasion, I would stand in awe until Ezio would gently nudge me.

"This is great," I exclaimed. "The city is so large, but manages to keep its beauty."

"I hate to brag, my dear, but just wait until you see my family's home." He looked at me and winked. "And with you being there, it will be the jewel of Venice, no, the world!" He nearly shouted. Subtlety was obviously not in this man's vocabulary. We both turned a light shade of red as several people turned to look after Ezio's outburst.

"Don't lie," I said. "You know you love the attention." I giggled at him. He stuck his tongue out at me. "Oh, that's how it is then..." I laughed and ran up ahead of Ezio. A quick glance behind me showed Ezio was not too far behind, a smirk spread upon his face. I ran as hard as I could, weaving in and out of crowds, with Ezio in hot pursuit. I heard loud gasps from the crowds as I passed. _What, haven't any of you seen a woman running? Sheesh._ I kept running, and managed to duck into an empty alley.

Catching my breath, I congratulated myself for managing to lose Ezio. _On second thought, that wasn't very smart, Aly_. I swore silently under my breath. I was slightly lost, and I knew if I tried to go back to Isabella's home, it would take me until almost midnight to get there, and she would be fast asleep. How foolish I was! _ Damn, Damn, Damn, you are so __Stupid__! _I thought to myself, and started to sniffle. _Why do I always mess stuff up when I'm playing around_? I bit my lip in frustration, also trying to hold back the tears that were forming. A noise from above startled me into looking up, and I saw an outline of a figure. Was...was that Ezio? Where did he come from? "Ezio? Is that you? How did you find me?" I shouted.

"Alessandra, look to your right." He said. I looked to my right, as he asked. I saw a heavily armored and armed man coming towards me.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"I will tell you later. I need you to do something for me." He had his eyes on the man. "I need you to climb up to where I am at."

"But," I stuttered. "I don't know if I can."

"Nonsense. I believe you can do it. Just trust me."

"All right." I stood up and dusted myself off. Then, I turned around, grabbed a hand hold on the wall, and hoisted myself up and began to climb. I heard the armored man shout, "WAIT! STOP!" But I ignored him. As I attempted to climb higher, I was stopped suddenly. The armored man had caught up, and had grabbed my left foot. _Shit. This isn't good._ I looked below me, and noticed that the man had a small red cross on his shoulder. _Is that...a Templar? What does __he__ want?_ I decided that I didn't want to hang around and ask, so I lifted my right foot and slammed it down on the Templar's face as hard as I could.

"Gah! Stop. Trying. To. Look. Up. My. DRESS!" I yelled. I felt the Templar's grasp on my foot lessen, and I climbed up to the top of the building as fast as I could. When I reached the top, Ezio helped me up.

"You were amazing, dear Alessandra! I wonder how you learned to climb and fight like that..."

"It's a long story, Ezio." I brushed some hair out of my face.

"You will have to tell me later. But first, we need to get to my home. I see that man wasn't too happy about your shoe meeting his face." Ezio grinned, and led me to the other side of the roof, which had a ladder. He helped me down, and we slowly made our way through side streets to his family's home.


	9. Ch 9 Ouch!

Ch 9

We made our way through alleys and side streets, neither of us saying a word. Ezio had firmly grasped my hand, as he lead me towards our ultimate destination. During the scuffle with the Templar, I had managed to scrape up my knee pretty bad. I kept going though, desperate for Ezio to not notice. After what felt like ages, Ezio finally began to slow down.

"I think it will be fine to rest here for awhile." He turned toward me. "Are you all right? That man didn't hurt you, did he?" He wore a look of concern on his face.

"I'm sure... I will be fine." I gave him a smile. The pain from the deep scrape finally hit, though, and I winced.

"The bastard! He hurt you! I will show him to not mess with my rose!" Ezio looked infuriated.

"No! No, no, Ezio! I just hit my knee on the wall. It stings a bit, but I'm sure it doesn't hurt nearly as much as that man's face." I tried to give Ezio a reassuring smile. He relented, and a small smile came to his face.  
"I wanted to apologize, Ezio." I looked down.

"Why for?"

"For acting so foolish, and running back there and losing you." I sighed.

"Trust me, you didn't lose me." He laughed.

"Well, for a minute there, I thought I lost you. And then I realized how stupid I was." I frowned, still mentally slapping myself for being so dumb.

"You do run rather well, for being in a dress. And that climbing, I was amazed!" Ezio gave a cheesy grin. "You'll tell me where you learned that, yes?" He looked honestly intrigued by my ability to run and climb. _I guess not too many women around here do that_.

"Thanks, and yes, I'll tell you. At least, as much as I can remember." I giggled. He kept his silly smile, and I laughed at him.

"Can you walk?" Ezio asked.

"Yes, I think so. We just need to go slow at first, at least until I can get used to the pain."

"Once we get to my home, I'll have to look at it." Ezio stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"You're not thinking anything inappropriate, are you Ezio?" I giggled again. Ezio stopped stroking his chin, and I saw his face turn a nice shade of red.  
"No, not at all." He looked away.

"Liar. What was it? What were you thinking?" I prodded.

"Your legs." He looked down, obviously embarrassed.

"Oh, be quiet!" I laughed, and gave him a playful shove.

"But, I told you!" He pouted.

"You weren't supposed to really say!" I wiped away tears from laughing so hard.

Ezio sighed. "Women. Sometimes I just can't understand them." He muttered. "So, are you ready to continue, Alessandra?" I nodded, and clung to him once again. If we hadn't had been moving, I would have fallen asleep like that. He was more comfortable than any pillow, and much sweeter than Issac. _He smells better too..._ I noted. We slowly made our way towards his home. With my lip nearly chewed off from biting on it because of the pain, I was more glad, than amazed, to reach and see his family's home.

"It is very quiet here, Alessandra. My family is gone." He frowned, with watered eyes, as he looked upon the house.

"Oh... What happened, Ezio?" I tried to comfort him as much as I could, feeling a sense of depression rising from him.

"I... can't tell you. Not yet, at least." He shook it off. "Now, let us get inside, and for me to help you with your injured knee. Even though my family is not here, I do have servants, so it isn't completely silent. Thank God." Ezio gently grasped my arm, and led me through the doors. "The servants have also prepared a room for you, that is part of the reason I was gone earlier." He gave me a heart-melting smile, and I just nodded like a dumbstruck idiot, as he led me through the doors into his home.


	10. Ch 10 Arrival

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delays, and the end...seems a bit weird, Sorry.

* * *

Ch. 10

As I walked in, I was finally hit by how amazing his home was.

"Oh, Ezio, this... I am absolutely amazed!It's so big, and gorgeous too!" I gasped with excitement. The house was large, very large, with apparently three levels. We were on the first. This level was silent and empty, and I shivered from the cool air.

"Come, I will take you to our guest area." Ezio smiled, although his face showed a twinge of pain. I felt his sadness, and gave him a small hug, what little consolation it was. He led me to the second level, and my jaw nearly dropped. Decorated to the brim with wall tapestries, the floors covered with ornate rugs, and several chairs and desks. I stood there, with my mouth wide open, taking it all in.

"You may want to close your mouth, Alessandra. An insect may fly in there!" Ezio chuckled. I shut my mouth quickly.

"Ezio, this place is amazing!" I exclaimed. "I am just...I can't even think of a word that would do it justice!"

"Now that you are here, I think it is even more beautiful." He smiled again, although any trace of sadness he had was gone. He took my hand and kissed it again, leading me to a chair. "Please sit. I need to get some water and such to clean your injury." I sat down, as he asked. _Wow, what a comfortable chair!_ I thought. As I relaxed in the chair, I felt fatigue hit me. All that walking, and the incident with the Templar must have really drained me. I leaned my head back and sighed. Several minutes passed and then I heard soft footsteps, and I raised my head back up. Ezio held a bowl of water, and some rags were draped on his arm.

"The servants are fast asleep, so I will tend to your wound. Besides, I'd prefer to do it myself." He chuckled. "Please do not take this the wrong way, but could you lift your dress a bit so I can see where you got hurt?" His face turned that cute shade of red again, and my heart turned to putty at the sight.

"Don't get the wrong idea, then." I winked, and grinned. I felt my face start burning as soon as I started to lift up the bottom of my dress. So, to just get it over with, I lifted as fast as I could, and looked down at my knee. Blood had covered most of the injury, so I couldn't tell how bad it really was. Apparently Ezio had thought the same thing.

"I am going to wash off all the blood, so I can see if it needs to be stitched." Ezio's face had not changed, although he now looked more stern, it was still red. He set the bowl of water on the floor near my feet, and he went down on his knees to get a closer look. He put a rag in the water, brought it out, and wrung the extra water back into the bowl.

"This might hurt a little." He said, as he gently grabbed my leg. I jumped at his touch. "I haven't even started to clean it yet!" Ezio stared at me.

"Sorry! I'm just...not used to...being touched." I felt my face burn hotter.

"I will be careful, I assure you." He gave me a comforting smile, his face still red as well.

I shut my eyes, and waited for the sting, but found myself blushing at his touch. His hands were firm, but strangely delicate. _Maybe he thinks I'm fragile...Ha!_ As soon as I finished my thought, I felt the hot rag touch my knee. A flash of pain went through me, and I bit my lip to keep from making a sound.

"I told you it might hurt." Ezio said.

"I know, but still..." I winced.

"For you saying it was nothing major, there sure is quite a bit of blood."

"I guess my body exaggerates." I laughed a little, then drew my breath in from the pain. "Ah, I guess I shouldn't do that again..."

"I beg to differ, Alessandra." He said, while he cleaned. "I've never seen a woman climb like that before. To be honest, I didn't think you would really do it. I was fully prepared to go down there and tell that man to leave you alone, but apparently I didn't need to. That kick was fantastic, as well." My face turned red again. "So, now that we are safe, can I ask where, or how, you learned to climb and fight like that?" I sighed. I didn't think he would let it drop either.

"As far as I can remember, I used to do it all the time, when I was a child. I really wasn't supposed to, but I did it anyway. I always wanted to stay involved in the same business my brothers were in. I would secretly train with them at night. I even learned how to use a sword, and I did pretty well, might I add. My grandparents always said I got my headstrong attitude, climbing ability and fighting skills from their great great great grandparents. I haven't done too much research on my family." I shrugged. "They said that they had come from Jerusalem, and were rather athletic. Athletes from Jerusalem, I don't know if I should believe them." I chuckled at myself.

"Jerusalem, you say?" Ezio had stopped cleaning, and looked like he was lost in thought again.

"Yes, why do you ask?" I inquired.

Ezio ignored my question. "Maybe I could introduce you to a friend of mine. Perhaps he might help..."

"Excuse me, help with what?" It felt as if I was talking to a wall.

"It appears we have...sorry, I have a mystery here, my lovely Alessandra. My relatives were from around that area as well, although I heard reference to a place called Masyaf."

"Masyaf...I've heard that before too, but my family was very quiet about it. Actually, I snook in on a conversation they were having. They didn't even know I was there." Ezio grinned.

"Sneaky woman, I better be careful."

"Oh, please. So, who is your friend?" I asked.

"His name is Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci"

"Isn't he a really good artist?" I questioned. _Wait, wait! da Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci! Oh my God, he knows da Vinci?!_ I looked back down at Ezio, who was wiping away the last bits of dried blood from my knee.

"He is more than just an artist, my dear." He chuckled, and put down the rag. "There. It's finally cleaned. Let's see..." He peered at my knee. "You were right. Just exaggeration. A few ugly cuts, but none deep enough to require stitches." I breathed a sigh of relief.

Ezio stood up. "I won't be surprised if that is bruised rather bad tomorrow, so please be careful. If you can't walk tomorrow, I'll make sure you're well taken care of."

"Thank you very much, Ezio."

"Think nothing of it, my lovely rose." He smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"If anything, I'm exhausted." I sighed. "I'm a little out of practice, I suppose."

"Well, let me show you to your room then. And I will let you get some rest." He bowed toward me, and took my hand.

Ezio led me towards an ornate looking door, and opened it. A large bed occupied most of the room, but there were a few chairs, and large wall tapestries in this room as well.

"Ah! This room is amazing too, Ezio..." I walked around the room, looking at all the art, and went to the bed and poked at the pillows.

"All the finest for our guests. Although... I had the servants help me fix this room up especially for you." He smiled, and I saw that red return to his cheeks.

"I love it. And this bed looks so nice, how could I sleep in it?" I laughed, and walked back to where Ezio was standing, and I took his hand this time. I looked in his eyes, and thought I'd lose myself in them again. "I appreciate what you've done for me these past few days. I don't know what I've done to deserve this, but..." He leaned in, and gave me a long, passionate kiss. My face turned a nice cherry red.

"Do not worry. I told you that you would be free again, did I not? I should be asking you why you continue to deal with me." We both turned red. "I... will leave you to your rest. I am feeling a bit tired, myself." He looked away shyly. "I will send a servant to wake you tomorrow, for I am sure you will be hungry then." He gave me another kiss, and exited the room, closing the door on his way out.

"Hmm...what about a nightgown..." I said to myself, and decided to check the drawers near the bed. The first few drawers were empty, but the last one had something in it. I pulled it out, and saw...a brand new nightgown! "Oh...Well, that's convenient. He's very thoughtful, though. I hope it fits." I removed my dress, taking care to not drag the material over my freshly clean cuts. After putting the gown on and discovering it fit rather well, I sat on the bed. _Woa! Even more comfortable than the chair..._ I gave a small yawn, and reclined back onto the bed, and found myself asleep once again.


	11. Ch 11 Oops!

A/N: I apologize for the massive delay in chapters! Please forgive me! I had serious writer's block, and I was following the Protests in Iran.

* * *

Ch 11.

Another dream. It was completely dark again. I heard the same voices as before. The man sounded angry and rushed.

"Lucy, is this it? The interfacing..."  
"Subject twenty... her signs are acting..." Lucy sounded like she was trying to be patient with the man.

"What the hell do you mean?" I heard electronic whirrs and clicks again.

"The interfacing... too well....She might be...issues with the bleeding effect." Several beeps and clicks interrupted the conversation.

"...Need to keep her and subject seventeen separated...all costs...Lucy."

"I know that, Warren!" She snapped at the man.

"Don't you take...tone with me..." Warren growled. "It is imperative...piece of Eden..." his voice cut out. _Damn it, what is he saying_? I tried to yell out at them, and break free.

"Shit! She's active!" Warren exclaimed. "We need...keep her down. Only let them interface with... Alpha and Beta Animus! … No funny business!" I heard his footsteps as he stormed out of where ever they were.

A few minutes later, I heard Lucy again. "Don't worry, Alyssa. I'll get you out, soon." She whispered.  
"Blee....ding....Ef...fct..." I managed to mutter.

"Oh, God. Alyssa. I'll tell you...out of Beta Animus." She sounded panicked. "I won't let them do anything else with you. But just for now, stay with Desmond in there."

"Des...mon...d... Ezio?" I sleepily asked.

"Yes. Try to stay with him as long...can."

"Can't...see..." I muttered.

And the realization hit me. This wasn't a dream. _The animus...it's real? I am...what did they call it...interfacing...with Desmond? Why?_

"I'm pu...back inside, Alyssa. Please, tru..me. This...be over soon."

I woke with a scream, apparently scaring the servants in my room, who had been watching me as I slept. Ezio must have been nearby, because he came running into the room.

"Alessandra! Are you all right?" He came to the bedside and took my hand.

"I'm fine, I think. Just a nightmare." I turned red, after looking at him.

"It must have been bad, to make you scream like that." He wore a look of concern.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. I am awake, and I have to say, seeing you when I first wake up is a nice sight." I smiled. Ezio's face turned red. "Oh, I almost forgot to thank you for the nightgown."

"Oh, think nothing of it. I hope you like it."

"I do, thank you very much."

"How is your knee?" Ezio motioned to where my leg was, under the covers.

"I don't know. I don't feel it hurting or anything."

Honestly, I had nearly forgotten that I had injured myself trying to escape that Templar. I wiggled my way to the edge of the bed, and let my legs fall over the edge. I pulled up my nightgown to look at my knee. The cuts had scabbed over, but my whole knee was black and blue.

"Are you sure that it doesn't hurt?" Ezio asked.

"If you're implying that I'm fragile, you're sorely mistaken." I giggled. "Better watch out Ezio, I fight back."

"Should I take that as a challenge?" He winked playfully.

I laughed. "Possibly." I stood up and winced a little.

"It hurts?" Ezio asked again.

"Nothing a little water won't fix." I said. Ezio thought for a moment, then called the servants to him.

"Please get me some hot water." The servants smiled and nodded, and walked out of the room.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Ezio." I frowned slightly.

"Stop apologizing, my rose." He smiled. "You bring me happiness and excitement. I think that is wonderful."

"And here I was, thinking I was nothing but trouble." I laughed a little, and poked his side. I saw him jump slightly, and I grinned. "Oh, you're ticklish!" I exclaimed.

"Am not!"

"Uh huh, right!" I lunged towards Ezio, and my hands met his sides. I wiggled my fingers around his sides, tickling as hard as I could. His laughter was so loud, I thought I could hear it echo down the hallway.

"Oh! Hahaha! Stop that! Ahahaha!" He was nearly doubled over from laughing so hard.

"See, I'm nothing but trouble, all right!" I laughed, and let up on the tickling.

"Ah, see, there! You left your guard down!" Ezio laughed, and lunged back at me in retaliation. I jumped back in defense, but found only the edge of the bed behind me.

"Aah!" I gasped, as the back of my knee met the bed. It felt as though time slowed, as my knee buckled, and gravity took over. I tried to instinctively grab something to stop my falling, but unfortunately, the only thing I was able to grab was Ezio's sleeve. I fell onto the bed with an "oof," and when I blinked, I realized what I had done. I looked up and found myself face to face with Ezio, who I had accidentally dragged down with me. His face had changed from mischievous to confused, and was still slightly out of breath from my previous 'attack'. My eyes widened when I actually comprehended the situation. _Oh God, he's landed on me_...My face turned an extremely bright shade of red. It took a few seconds for Ezio to grasp what had happened as well. His face lit up fast, and he moved to the right, and I moved to the left.

"Oh God...I'm sorry!" we said at the same time. Our faces burned bright, and our mouths were silent for the several minutes we sat there. Luckily, one of the servants arrived with the bowl of hot water, and it felt as though a heavy weight was lifted from both of us. Ezio thanked the servant, and took the bowl.

"It's my fault, I was being childish again." I frowned, and looked down.

"There you go, apologizing again. It is I who should apologize." His face was still red.

"But, I started it."

"It was an accident, thats all. I thought you'd have better balance." He came closer with the water and chuckled.

"I could say the same for you, mister acrobat." I stuck my tongue out at Ezio. "Better watch out with that water then."

"Oh! My balance is perfectly fine. You just caught me unawares!" He gave a cheesy grin.

"Oh, really. Are you suspecting I did that on purpose?" I laughed. All of a sudden, I felt the top of my head getting wet. "What?" I asked, confused. I didn't realize that he had soaked a rag in the water, and was dripping it on my head. "Ah! Do I smell?" I laughed again. And then, _splat_, the rag had fallen on top of my head, the edges dripping onto my shoulders. "Awwww." I said, grabbing the soaked rag from my head, and lobbing it towards Ezio, who caught it with ease.

"Lets get your injury cleaned up again, and I will take you to eat." His face still looked playful, but his eyes had turned serious. "I believe we have a few things to discuss, like I had promised last night." Ezio quickly cleaned the cuts, and left the room with the bowl of water. _Wow, he gets serious pretty fast, _I thought, as I dressed, and headed out the door of the room.

Ezio led me through the house to a dining room, and I was struck by its beauty. a thick carpet with a rich pattern underfoot, wood paneled walls, adorned with beautiful oil paintings of Ezio's relatives, all illuminated by the two small chandeliers that hung over the dining table, like twin suns. He motioned me towards a seat, and I sat. He gently pushed the chair in, and I blinked a few times, not used to being treated so nicely. "Thanks," I said softly.

We ate in silence, both of us afraid to speak much, especially about what had happened earlier that morning. As I finished my food, I looked at Ezio. "Oh! You said you were going to explain who that man was. The one I kicked in the face...I saw something on him, a small red cross."

"I suspected as much. Did you learn any history when you were younger?" He asked, and looked directly at me. I felt his deep brown eyes drill into me with intensity.

"Yes. If I remember right, the red cross was used by the Knights Templar. But, I thought they were chased out of the holy land, and were all killed?" I looked right at Ezio, trying to not flinch from his powerful gaze.

"That is what they wanted everyone to believe. Unfortunately, it isn't true." His face had hardened, his eyes lowered to his empty plate.

"Unfortunately?" I asked.

"Mmhm. It's a long tale, Alessandra. Maybe once...I'll tell you." He sighed, and looked saddened.

I blinked. _Did...did I just miss part of what he said?_ I wondered.

"Did this...have anything to do with...your family?" I reached over to grasp his hand.

"A little." Ezio shut his eyes.

"I'm sorry to bring it up, Ezio." I frowned, and gripped his hand tightly.

"No matter. In a few days, I will take you to see my friend Leonardo. If anything, this will help me focus, and clear my mind." He tried to give me a smile, but I could see the pain in his eyes. "I have asked the tailor, who made that dress, to make you a few others, so that you won't have to wear the same one over and over again." My jaw dropped.

"You shouldn't have." I blushed.

"No, you deserve the best, Alessandra. Clothing that compliments you, and hopefully, a companion that does the same."

I smiled, and continued to hold his hand, completely speechless. It took a few moments to find the words I was looking for.

"You're very wonderful, Ezio. You're caring, gentle, kind, but also very strong. Not just physically, but your spirit is very strong as well. I'd never leave this for anything." Ezio smiled, and I saw a faint trace of a blush forming on his face. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, Ezio." I smiled back, and looked into his eyes again. This man had so many strong emotions swirling inside him, by just looking into his eyes I could see this. As of now, however, he had a look of strong determination, along with slightly pink cheeks. I grinned, and chuckled to myself.

"Please, feel free to explore, if you feel the need to. I will be back in a little while, I need to speak with Leonardo first. Then, we will go. Please be patient with me, my rose." He stood up, bowed, and left the room. I sat alone for several minutes, deep in thought.

"Be safe..." I whispered.


	12. Ch 12 Exploration

A/N: Sorry this took so long! Been having a bit of writer's block, plus I've been 'studying' the new Dev Diary for AC2 (About Ezio)

* * *

Ch 12

As I sat alone in the magnificent dining room, I hoped Ezio would return soon. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if he was gone for as long as he was before. I frowned to myself. _I'm supposed to stay with him, though._ I stood up from the table and left the room. I decided to keep myself busy while he was gone, and to look around the house.

I went from room to room, admiring the art in each. Some rooms had ornate rugs and tapestries, but sat empty, unused, and the art seemed overlooked in the admiration department. Every now and then I would see a servant or two, who would just about stare at me, but then approach me and ask if I needed anything. I politely declined, and they would bow and go back to what they were doing. After spending a few hours admiring, I found myself at another set of stairs. These weren't the stairs we had entered from last night. It appeared to lead to the third floor. Unsure on how to proceed, I weighed the pros and cons of ascending the stairs. Briefly looking around to see if there was anyone around to see me, I was rewarded with the obvious observation that no one was around. I timidly placed my right foot on the first step, for some reason, I thought an alarm would go off, or something. I looked around again, still saw nobody. Convinced I was in the clear, I slowly ascended the stairs, being careful so I wouldn't trip on my dress and fall.

I made it up the stairs without incident. I looked at my surroundings. This floor, as compared to the one below it, was rather drab. A few pieces of art hung along the main hallway, not as many as the second floor. A few doors were at the end of the hall. I opened the first, and it seemed to be some type of storage. "How boring." I said quietly. The door at the farthest end only lead to another set of stairs. Another door revealed an unused bedroom. Dust covered everything. Apparently the servants didn't clean this room for some reason. "One door to go," I whispered, and opened it. This room was obviously lived in. Papers were strewn across the desk, near the large window. I walked in, driven by curiosity. My attention was diverted, however, when something shiny on the bed caught my eye. Drawing closer to the bed, I realized what it was. It looked like a modified blade, attached to a gauntlet of some kind. I sat down on the bed, admiring the craftsmanship of the steel. The gauntlet intrigued me as well. Pointing the blade away from me, I eyeballed the gauntlet. One of my fingers must have hit a hidden trigger, because the blade slid out silently and swiftly. I nearly jumped off the bed, but managed to keep my composure.

The blade extended out pretty far, and as I examined it closer, it looked as if it was recently cleaned. As I focused on the blade, I found a sense of familiarity with it. I had seen a less elegant version of it when I had visited my grandparents! Feeling a little braver, I decided to try to put it on. I told myself it was just curiosity, as I slowly put the gauntlet over my wrist and arm, avoiding the blade, unconsciously knowing that the blade was meant to be under the forearm. I cinched the straps onto my arm as tightly as I could. The blade extended approximately two inches out, from my fingers. Looking at the gauntlet, I found a strange mechanism. I pressed it gingerly, and the blade quickly went back inside the gauntlet. "Ooh!" I said, a little louder than expected. I pressed the trigger again, and the blade emerged once more. I was thrilled. "How sneaky!" I cried out. "I wonder, is this an assassin's blade, like I heard about as a kid...?"

"It's been called that, yes." I heard Ezio's voice from the doorway.

"Oh, God! Ezio!" I nearly screamed. "I... I... I'm sorry, I got nosy!" I blurted, and put my arms behind my back, to hide the fact I had been wearing the gauntlet. "Please forgive me!"

Ezio gave a faint smile. "I didn't tell you to not come up here. So, it's not as if you disobeyed my wishes." He leaned to his side, and smiled wider. "I see you found my blade." I shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"Yes, it's very interesting, Ezio." I hit the trigger mechanism once more, and the blade retracted. Loosening the straps on the gauntlet, I let it slide off my arm. "You put a lot of attention on it." I said.

"And how would you know, miss Alessandra?" He winked.

"Well, I told you last night, that I used to train with my brothers." Ezio nodded, and I continued. "It wasn't just hand to hand fighting. I learned how to wield a blade, and to properly care for them. But, this is a new one on me." I motioned towards the assassin's blade.

"But you know what it is." Ezio added.

"Vaguely," I sighed. "I saw something like it before, not as elegant though, when I was being nosy at my grandparent's home. The one I saw there was very old, and looked like it had seen some use. I never asked about it though, seeing how they didn't even know I found it."

"Aren't you the sneaky one!" Ezio laughed heartily. "Can I ask, once we get back from Leonardo's, would you care to show me your skills?"

"What, in my dress?" I scoffed.

"I would say naked, but that would be bad." Ezio chuckled.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Ezio, you're dirty!" I laughed.

"If the situation called for it, would you be able to fight in your dress?" He questioned, a smirk still playing on his face.

"Heh. You know, I never really tried. You know, except for that whole face kicking incident earlier." I let out a small giggle.

"And as I keep saying, you were amazing. It's truly hard to find a woman around here who can take care of herself like you did."

_But I cried like a child when I lost you_, I wanted to say, but kept my mouth shut.

"I would just call it 'survival instinct'." I flashed a smile at Ezio.

"So you are not just beautiful, but deadly as well, my dear..." Ezio strode into the room finally, moving closer to me. "You should smile like this more often, Alessandra. It makes you look all that more gorgeous."

"W...Well..it's because of you, Ezio! I was never really happy...until I met you. It makes me happy, as well, that you'd introduce me to your friend. I can't wait to meet him! And I think...I might...lov..." I felt my face start warming up, as I poured out my thoughts to him. "Oh, there I go again! Don't mind me, I am just rambling." I fumbled with my hands, trying to escape my situation. He must have sensed my agitation, because he had come up and taken my hand.

"If you do not wish to say it, then don't. Don't worry. Now, lets get you back downstairs, so you can eat, and see your new dresses. Tomorrow we will go to visit Leonardo. He will be expecting us bright and early, so make sure you get a good night's rest." Ezio helped me off the bed like a gentleman, and lead me back downstairs. _I can't wait for tomorrow!_ I thought excitedly.


	13. Ch 13 da Vinci

A/N: I actually cut this chapter a bit short, to keep some tension. Some reason, I can't type the initial chapters, I've gotta hand write em, to get good ideas. LOL

* * *

Ch 13

I had gone to bed early that night, after filling up on delicious food in the dining room. My thoughts kept returning to Ezio, the assassin's blade, then finally Leonardo. _I can't believe I'll be meeting da Vinci tomorrow!_ I tossed and turned listlessly on the bed for about an hour, before settling down and crashing hard.

I awoke the next morning by the early morning daylight trickling through the window. I sat up and rubbed my eyes sleepily. Moving to the edge of the bed, away from the sunlight, I pondered which of the marvelous dresses I should wear. The green one had disappeared, presumably taken by a servant, to be washed. I decided on the blood red dress. Designed much like the green one, the edges were trimmed with what looked like gold embroidery. "This must have cost a fortune." I said out loud, to no one in particular. I shut the door to give myself some privacy, and changed into the dress. This one felt a little more form fitting than the first. I still felt like a princess, and couldn't wait until Ezio saw it. I twirled around giggling to myself, and moved toward the desk. I found a hairbrush on the desk, its handle was inlaid with silver and gold. Slowly brushing out the snarls in my hair that had formed over night, I hummed a song to myself. For some reason, this eased my growing tension. Thoughts still kept popping into my head though, no matter how much I brushed. _I wonder what da Vinci is like...I bet he's super smart, witty, but maybe he's also a little boring._ Suddenly, I heard a commotion outside my door.

"Alessandra, are you awake yet?" I heard Ezio say loudly. I stood up, and put down the brush. "We have to hurry, or we'll be..." he continued, but his voice faltered as soon as I opened the door.

"I'm ready to go now," I smiled. "Ezio, what's the matter? You'll catch a bug if you leave your mouth open like that." Indeed, his jaw had dropped, and was just standing there, as if frozen in place. "Hell-oo...Ezio..." I reached out and nudged his jaw closed with my hand. He seemed to snap out of it after his mouth was shut. Ezio blinked a few times. "Are you feeling well, Ezio?" I placed the back of my hand on his forehead. Besides him sweating a little, his forehead felt fine. "You're not running a fever, which is good. So, why..."

"Your dress," Ezio cut me off. "It looks amazing on you!" He grinned.

"Oh, please. Although, I do really like this color."

"I think it matches your temperament perfectly." Ezio took my hand.

I laughed. "So, you seemed to be in a hurry, Ezio." I looked at him. It looked as though a light bulb had gone off somewhere in his mind.

"Oh! I just about forgot. You distracted me."

"Is that what it is, signore jaw-on-the-floor?" I crossed my arms in mock-seriousness.

"I can't help but be distracted by a beautiful woman. Especially when she is paying attention to me." He gave a cheesy grin.

"Is that so? Will Leonardo accept the excuse 'Sorry I'm late, I was being flirtatious with a lady...'?" I giggled.

"It's already slightly scandalous that you're a guest here without a chaperon." Ezio winked. "Let us get going. He does get rather impatient some times." He led me out and down the stairs. As we exited, I found myself latching onto his arm again, determined to not lose him.

"I hope we don't run into that man again." I said softly to Ezio.

"Don't worry, he won't bother you anymore." He turned his head to look at me, a satisfied look on his face. _Does that mean he killed him?_ I wondered. I really wanted to ask him, but I figured it wouldn't be taken well, so I kept it to myself.

As we walked along, I noticed how busy it was. Well, until we would pass by. I heard the not so hushed tones of some women behind us.

"Oh look, it's Ezio! How magnificent is he!? But, who is that woman?"

"She looks so beautiful, I wonder who she is."

"Ezio looks so happy with her!"

"As long as he is happy, right?"

I tried my hardest to keep to myself, but I let a small smile escape. I've never felt so proud of clinging to a man. Still, it was a little embarrassing.

We walked along in silence, his eyes moving everywhere, it looked as if he was on the lookout for some one or some thing. I decided to break the silence.

"So, how did you and Leonardo meet?" I asked. Ezio kept his steady vigilance, but spoke softly, so his voice wouldn't carry.

"We've been friends since we were children. He's been the only friend who has been with me through it all, and I'm glad. He gave me some good advice when..." Ezio stopped himself.

"When what?" I asked.

"I'll tell you when we get to his home. I'd prefer to tell you in a secure place." He shook his head. "Besides, Leonardo is looking forward to meeting you."

I stared at Ezio. _Leonardo da Vinci is...looking forward to meeting me?! No way..._ "R...Really?" I stuttered.

Ezio nodded. "Yes. I spoke to him about you. He likes mysteries, and you, my dear Alessandra, are a mystery to me. So I asked him for help. Your knowledge, or at least, your knowing of that blade came as a surprise to me, and I'm sure he would like to hear about it. It may help. Of course, Leonardo has his sneaking suspicions, but we will discuss this at length when we get there. I feel as if there is something important at stake here."

I nodded back. "I feel the same way. I think I'm here for a reason, but what it is, I don't know yet. My memory is still a little fuzzy." I looked at Ezio again. For being 'on watch', he also looked like he was lost in thought.

Before I knew it, we were on the doorstep of Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci's home. Ezio raised his hand to the door and began knocking. It wasn't just a ~knock,knock,knock~ though. There was a pattern to it.

~**knock**, pause, **knock**, pause, **knock knock**, pause,** knock knock knock**, pause, **knock knock knock knock knock**, pause, **knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock**...~

Finally, the door began to open. _Wait a minute. One knock, one knock, two knocks, three knocks, followed by five, then ending with eight. One and one is two, two and one is three, three and two is five, and five and three is eight. That's a Fibonacci sequence!_ I stood at the door, dumbfounded.

"Hello...Alessandra...?" Ezio's voice brought me back to reality.

"Wha...oh, God! Sorry!" I mentally slapped myself for daydreaming.

"As I was saying. Alessandra, I'd like for you to meet Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci. Leonardo, this is Alessandra." Ezio said.

"N...n...nice to meet you, signore..." I sputtered out.

"Please, call me Leonardo." He bowed his head slightly.

"Ah, nice to meet you then...Leonardo." _I can't believe this!_

"The pleasure is all mine, miss Alessandra. Both of you, come inside. We have so much to discuss!" I entered first, followed by Ezio, and Leonardo last, who shut the door as Ezio entered. Looking around I noticed that even though the room was tidy, it seemed chaotic in a way. Unfinished paintings were strewn in rooms, some still sitting on their easels. While they didn't look like they were completely ignored or neglected, it showed that he sure took his time on them. Leonardo quickly directed us to a room in the back of the house, motioning toward several seats he had cleared.

"Heh. Pardon the mess." Leonardo messed with his hair a bit.

"You have...quite a collection... Leonardo." I said.

"Some projects here and there. I'm still learning though. I've got my whole life ahead of me, and by God, I'm going to get better, I just know it. You should see all the stuff I'm wanting to make though, like this...contraption. It flies! Well, really, it glides, but you you see what I mean, right?" I nodded, absolutely entertained by the fact that Leonardo got worked up quite a bit over his stuff.

"I think so. A machine that glides...how neat would that be?" I said. Leonardo broke out in a large grin, and laughed.

"I see you picked well, Ezio!" Leonardo kept laughing. I looked toward Ezio, and his face had turned a light shade of pink.

"You know that it isn't like that, Leonardo!" Ezio said.

"Oh, I know. But it's still fun to pick on you." Leonardo grinned at Ezio. "So, would you two like some wine?"

"Yes, please." Ezio and I said in unison. We turned to look at each other, and laughed. I heard Leonardo chuckle as he walked out of the room to get the wine.

"I owe you an explanation then." Ezio said when Leonardo left the room. "Recently, I've had some troubles. This is why I asked you what you knew of the Knights Templar."

"Oh, yes. Although, I'm sure I wasn't that helpful. And what I learned was apparently wrong." I sighed.

"Or perhaps you weren't told the truth because you weren't ready." Leonardo chimed in as he re entered the room, with three full glasses of wine. He handed one each to Ezio and myself, and sat down in the last empty chair, and leisurely sipped from his glass. "Mm. Pretty powerful wine. I save this one for special occasions." He sighed happily, enjoying his drink.

I looked down at my glass, and the dryness in my throat urged me to drink. I raised it to my lips and took a long drink. Seeing how I was not used to drinking wine, I made a strange face, and nearly choked.

"You must have been sheltered." Leonardo chuckled.

"My family was pretty strict on a few things. Intoxicants were one of them. Alcohol, hashish...Was never allowed to touch anything like that. I apologize for the face..." I frowned.

"Don't be sorry. If I had known, I would have poured you a glass of a wine that wasn't so strong. Also, it might be in your best interests to lightly sip at this wine, instead of taking large gulps."

"I was thirsty, though." I took a smaller sip of the wine, and shifted in my seat. I caught Ezio out of the corner of my eye, trying to hide his laughter. "What, Ezio? You going to pick on me now? I feel rather naive right now, don't be too mean!" Ezio didn't bother to try to keep holding it back, his loud laughter echoed throughout the room. My face turned red, crossing my arms, and giving him a pouty face.

"Oh, haha, Alessandra, you're too much sometimes!" Ezio had wiped away a tear from his eye, and tried to nonchalantly take a sip from his wine. He coughed. "Good God, Leonardo. This is some strong wine."

"Nonsense. You just have no tolerance for fine wines, which, to be honest, doesn't seem right. Not for a noble. Last time I checked, most of your lot were a bunch of drunkards."

"They're also a group of back stabbing good for nothing jack asses." Ezio added, with a 'harrumph' afterwards for good measure. I kept sipping my wine, determined to quench my thirst. Forcing it down, I had nearly finished my glass, and felt a little more at ease.

"Now, time for business, hmm Ezio?" Leonardo was slightly reclined in his chair. _For this to be so serious, he seems rather laid back, _I observed. Ezio took a long sip of his wine, nearly emptying the glass, and nodded sagely.

"I've only known you for about a week, but by bringing you to Leonardo's home, and speaking with you like this, please know that this required a lot of trust. Now with you it seems reasonable enough to ask why I've placed my trust in you after a short amount of time..." Ezio was cut off by Leonardo.

"For crying out loud, Ezio! You make everything too wordy." Leonardo was leaning forward slightly.

"Says the man who thinks using Fibonacci numbers is a good idea for a door knock." Ezio retorted.

"I could write you a nice long backwards letter, you know." Leonardo playfully jabbed back. I looked at both of them.

"I don't think now is the best time for your games, _signore-s_" They both turned to look at me. "You both seemed insistent about being here and talking about something." I tried my hardest to look as serious as I could. "While I understand the need for socialization..."

"Like two peas in a pod, you and Ezio." Leonardo said. "Both passionate, both too wordy." Leonardo stuck his tongue out at us. "Regardless, you are correct, _signorina. _But with this wine, it might be difficult to have a serious discussion. We shall try, however." He edged back to his previous reclined position. "Back to where we were. Ezio, if you keep beating around the bush like that, I may have to take over."

"Fine. Where was I? Oh, yes. But I'll just leave the trust discussion where it stands." Ezio looked dead serious. Leonardo leaned toward my chair, as if to share a secret.

"Psst. He loves you." Leonardo whispered, but was still loud enough to be heard by Ezio. My face turned the color of a ripe tomato.

"I refuse to acknowledge anything you just said, Leonardo." Ezio's face hardened, but traces of pink on his face managed to escape. "Recently, I've had some family...tragedies. My father was killed. My mother, and my sister, they're being held captive by...we suspect Templars."

"Templars? Here?" I said, slightly shocked.

"They don't look like what they did in the Crusades, mind you." Ezio shut his eyes and tightened his jaw. Leonardo continued in Ezio's place.

"We suspect they did this to Ezio because of his family's bloodlines." Leonardo nodded solemnly.

"What do you mean, his bloodlines?" I asked, confused.

"My dear Alessandra, your lover boy here is an Assassin. Always. His family came from Masyaf."

"An...Assassin...then that blade..."

"Oh," Ezio interrupted. "She found the hidden blade."

"Did you now?" Leonardo eyed me.

"Ah, yes. I was...being nosy yesterday." I blushed and looked down.

Ezio nudged me a bit with his index finger. "What did you call it yesterday, when you saw it?" He prodded.

"Ah...I...ah...called it an assassin's blade." I squirmed in my seat.

Leonardo was leaning so far forward in his seat, I thought he was going to fall off the chair and land onto his face.

"Where did you hear that term?" Leonardo asked.

"Not sure, it just looked like one."

"You've seen something like this before?"

"When I was exploring at my grandparent's home, I had seen something like it, but it looked very old."

"Ah, the plot thickens," Leonardo remarked, and stroked the small beard that was forming on his face. "I wonder why there is a hidden blade at your grandparent's home. This, plus what Ezio has told me of your childhood, that you related to him, makes me suspect that you are related to the Assassins as well. You aren't related to Altaïr as far as I know, though. Where did you say your family immigrated from again, Alessandra?" Leonardo inquired.

"Oh, Jerusalem, I believe."

"Jerusalem...Jerusalem...Pardon me for a few moments, while I check some papers." Leonardo practically leaped off his chair and moved quickly towards another room.

Ezio looked me over. "Another Assassin, hm? Truth be told, I didn't even know I was until a little after the incident with my family. It seems, 'Once an Assassin, Always an Assassin'. The same would apply to you." The sound of mumbling and rustling papers from the other room interrupted Ezio's thought. "Regardless, you're still as beautiful as ever, Alessandra. And with the right training, deadly. Somehow, I find that very attractive." His face turned pink again.

"AH!" Leonardo yelled from the other room. "I think I've found something." Leonardo was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "Let me pour some more wine for this." He rushed in, and quickly grabbed our glasses, and went into the other room.

A minute passed, and Leonardo reappeared, with refilled glasses. He handed them back to us, and smiled. "I propose a toast."

"A toast?" Ezio asked.

"To new discoveries. To the Hashshashin. Fate has a mysterious way of working, my friends."

Ezio and I blinked at Leonardo. _What is he talking about?_ I wondered. We both lifted our glasses to Leonardo's toast, and the clinks reverberated throughout the room. What he was about to reveal, would change everything.


	14. Ch 14 Fate

Ch 14

"Sorry, what?!" I nearly shouted.

"Keep your voice down, Alessandra." Ezio had reached over and grabbed my arm.

"It's still speculation, of course. However..." Leonardo said softly.

"You know, it's still hard to believe that Ezio is an Assassin, let alone my family are Assassins, too." I said. "This is all a bit much." I took a large gulp of my wine.

"Alessandra, darling, you may want to take it easy on the wine." Ezio said, concerned.

"You act as if this is the end of the world. If anything, this should be celebrated. A rich culture, especially the Hashshashin, is in your past, and quite probably your future as well."

"Well, what about you Leonardo?" I asked. "Are you an Assassin?"

Leonardo shook his head. "Alas, I am not. But I am allied with them."

I sat there, looking into my wine glass, finishing up the last remaining sips of the wine, and thinking to myself.

_This can't be right. I can't be related to...him...can I? Is this why...they wanted me in the Animus?_

My face burned hot but not because of embarrassment. The wine had gotten to me, showing how low of a tolerance level I had. I let out a loud sigh.

"For you two to meet, I find it rather fortuitous." Leonardo said with a smile. "Two Assassins, meeting out of thin air."

I shook my head. "Do you know anything of my family then?" I asked.

"Well, from these documents that I have, I really only know about your one ancestor. It says here that he wasn't as 'ranked' as Altaïr, but just about equal in skill. Unfortunately, it says here, an accident claimed his left arm, as well as the life of his younger brother. Doesn't look like it slowed him down, though. He was the bureau leader in Jerusalem, in 1191. I wouldn't be surprised if he had dealings with Ezio's ancestor, Altaïr."

_If only they knew..._

"If that's the case, I find it rather amusing you two would find each other." Leonardo chuckled, and finished his wine.

"Yes, that would be quite interesting," Ezio added. "That would explain your brothers."

"And me, the black sheep of the family." I said softly.

"Why don't you start training again, Alessandra?" Leonardo questioned.

"Ha! I'm just a woman, I can't do that stuff." I said sarcastically.

"Bah, just get Ezio to do it." Leonardo grinned. "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to train you." Leonardo winked at Ezio.

"Really? Oh Ezio, is that right?" I gave Ezio the best puppy dog look that I could muster.

Ezio closed his eyes and sighed. "Of course I would. When we get back, we'll see your skills and then go from there." He opened his eyes again.

"Sounds good to me!" I giggled.

After an hour or so of more discussion of Ezio's family, we said our good bye's to Leonardo, and left his home. The sky above us had changed from bright and sunny, to dark, cloudy, and foreboding. The walk back was done in silence. Ezio was still keeping a lookout, although now I understood why. I lost myself in thought. One thing Leonardo had said to me stuck out like a sore thumb.

**"You're in danger, regardless if you know your true history or not. You need to seriously consider learning to defend yourself at least. If not, I would recommend you only leaving the house with Ezio. We don't know if the Templars know who you are yet. We can't risk it."**

_But they got me. Maybe not in 1486, but now. What do I do? What can I do?_

I came out of my 'daydream' as we entered through the lower floor of Ezio's home.

"Wait here, I will get the swords." Ezio said, as he gave me a quick kiss on my forehead. As I watched him leave, I wondered out loud, "Is this why I had to leave home?" I had to admit, being afraid for my life, hell, even Ezio's life, felt so surreal.

"I...I'm an Assassin, huh..." I pondered on this thought until Ezio reappeared with two swords, both sheathed.

"Come, let us go to the courtyard." Ezio said. I followed behind him, as he walked out.

We started off with parries and blocks, and even though Ezio was much more powerful than I, I was able to fend him off. Of course, he was probably taking it easy on me, either because he wasn't sure of my skills, or because I'm a woman. I hoped it was the first one. Before we knew it, we were sparring with each other, no holds barred. The clouds above us had progressively gotten worse, and now the rain had started, and was beating down on us as we fought. After awhile, we were both soaked, and Ezio unleashed a flurry of attacks on me, each one I was able to block, but I kept moving back each time. I kept backing up, until I hit something behind me. My back was against a pillar. "Damn him!" I thought. I brought up my blade to attack one last time, but I saw him smirk, and he nimbly disarmed me. The blade that was knocked out of my hand skittered away, making a 'clang' noise as it hit the ground and slid away. I took my eyes of Ezio to watch it slide away, but I knew I shouldn't have. Ezio made his move. Another blade clattered to the ground, and I found myself pinned to the pillar by Ezio's strong arms.

As we stood there, the rain kept falling, dropping on Ezio's face, his cheeks red, breathing heavily from the fight. My face couldn't get any redder from the exertion and being in this compromising position. I tried to catch my breath, but Ezio had leaned in close; I could hear and feel his warm, heavy breath on my skin. My stomach and heart fluttered. It felt like time slowed down, as I felt his rain soaked lips touch mine. I closed my eyes, and felt my mouth open slightly to it. I didn't want it to end, but Ezio relented, and released his lips from mine. I was still breathless, but managed to hoarsely whisper, "Ezio...I...love...you." He still had me pinned to the pillar, his body slightly pressed against mine.

Ezio moved his head a little, to whisper back, "I love you too, Alessandra." His arms moved slightly, his hands now gently touching my sides. I thought I was in Heaven, the rain falling on us, his gentle touch, and that kiss...my God! I looked back up towards Ezio's face, but that wasn't who I saw anymore. Ezio had been replaced by a darker, tanner man, who sported a scar on the right side of his mouth.

_What?_

I looked down again, but I wasn't wearing my dress. I wore white loose fitting pants, and a white robe with a dark blue over coat. _Hell, I'm not Alessandra anymore?!_ I furrowed my brow and looked to my left.

_Where the hell is my arm!?_

The sleeve where my left arm should be was shortened, and folded up. I wiggled my left arm, and realized it was only a stub.

"Altaïr! What are you doing? Let go of me!" I cried out.

Altaïr let go of me, apparently he had grasped my robe in a fit of anger.

_That's...Altaïr...Then, this means..._

I heard the electronic whirrs and clicks again, and everything went fuzzy. I heard Lucy's voice, however.

"You're...through...str...ge...desyn...roniz...on...ev..nt. It...alm..st...over, be...p...tnt..."

I found myself in a cave...no...ruins. The mind of the body I 'occupied' took over.

_This is Solomon's Temple._

The taller, grey eyed Assassin was there, along with another who, I realized, was 'my' brother, Kadar.

"Let's go already," Altaïr said, impatiently. I looked toward our destination, and spied an older man. Altaïr had his hidden blade out, which meant he saw the old man too.

"Wait! There must be another way. This man need not die." I said harshly to Altaïr. Too late, the thick headed Altaïr was stalking his prey. Altaïr slowly made his way behind the old man, and quickly sunk his blade into the man's neck with a sickening 'thck' sound. The man collapsed silently, and Altaïr closed the man's eyes.

" An excellent kill, fortune favors your blade." Kadar said, clearly impressed. I wasn't, however.

"Not fortune. Skill. Watch a while longer and you might learn something." Altaïr said, coolly. I had had enough.

"Indeed. He'll teach you to disregard everything the Master's taught us." I snapped.

Altaïr glared at me. "And how would you have done it?" He asked.

"I would not have drawn attention to us. I would not have taken the life of an innocent. What I would have done was follow the Creed." I glared back. My rage was building inside me like a shaken can. Suddenly, everything shifted. I felt an ungodly pain in my left arm, I felt like I was dying... but I was no longer in Solomon's Temple. I was standing before an old man, with a long white beard, and black robes. It was Al Mualim. He had been talking with Altaïr. They both looked surprised to see me. I bit my lip to keep the pain from my arm at bay. "No! Not dead." I winced as I spoke, the pain rising.

"Malik." Al Mualim said.

"I still live, at least." I hissed.

"And your brother?" Al Mualim questioned.

"Gone. BECAUSE OF YOU!" I pointed at Altaïr with my good arm.

"Robert threw me from the roof. There was no way back, nothing I could do." Altaïr shrugged. The anger rising in me was unbearable.

"BECAUSE YOU WOULD NOT HEED MY WARNING! ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED!" I snapped, full of rage. "And my brother... my brother would still be alive! Your arrogance nearly cost us victory today."

Al Mualim stepped in. "Nearly?"

I nodded. "I brought what your favorite failed to find. Here, take it. Though it seems I've returned with more than just the treasure."

Another shift... I screamed out in terror and pain, unsure of where I was. _The light, oh good God, the light...so bright..._ I heard the whirring again, and felt my body move. I rolled to my right, and fell onto the floor. I was on my hands and knees, screaming. I kept screaming even as I felt hands gently touch my back.

"Alyssa... Alyssa, it's okay. Calm down. God. I hate that bastard so much."

"Lucy, what's going...who is this!?" I heard a familiar voice. I screamed out again. "Holy shit, what's wrong with her?"

"You remember that threat Vidic used against you when you first started? This is what happens. Luckily, I changed her dosage so she could wake up." Lucy explained.

"Th...at...voice..." I stuttered, still looking at the ground. "Ezio... oh God, Ezio, is that you?" I cried out.

"A...Alessandra? You're...Alessandra?" He exclaimed.

"M...my name...is Alyssa." I said softly.

"Yes. This isn't _exactly_ Alessandra. Alessandra was her ancestor."

"Ez...io... I … love..." I sputtered, on the verge of tears.

"Alyssa, this isn't Ezio. It's Desmond." Lucy added. "We need to get you in a chair, I'm sure that floor isn't too comfortable." I nodded. "Desmond, can you help me here?"

"Okay, Lucy." I felt his powerful grasp on my left side, and Lucy's arm around my right, and they helped lift me up onto my feet, and into a nearby chair.

"I think all three of us need to have a long talk." Lucy said.


	15. Ch 15 Providence

A/N: The last chapter...or is it? Ty for reading and putting up with my crap. And yes, this is a short chapter. If I get any inspiration, I might continue where it left off.

* * *

Ch 15

I sat in my chair, my gaze lowered toward the floor. I felt sort of numb inside as Lucy started speaking.

"Obviously I owe you an explanation, Alyssa." She said.

"Sorta." I replied softly.

My thoughts trailed back to the last moments I had with Ezio, as Alessandra. _"I love you, Ezio." … "I love you too, Alessandra."_ The numbness I felt was quickly replaced by a new emotion, and I bit my lip to keep the tears from coming.

"Why...am I here?" I asked. "Where am I?"

"You're at an Abstergo lab facility. I can't tell you where. As for the why, you're here...to test a new function for the Animus."

"A new function?" I looked up at Lucy.

"Yes. Networking two of them. We call it 'Interfacing'."

"But why me?"  
"We...they....found a connection or two between you and Desmond. You two aren't related, but they thought you'd be a good way of seeing how the interfacing would work."

"By playing with my emotions." I said, upset. My hands clenched into fists.

"Alyssa, this was one thing I didn't want to do. So, I tried to help you. God damn it, they were going to kill you!" Lucy pleaded.

A noise next to me distracted me from Lucy. Desmond had moved a chair beside mine and sat in it. "I'm in the same boat as you, Aless..I mean, Alyssa." Desmond said.

"You almost called me Alessandra..." I looked at Desmond's face, and it shifted and changed to Ezio's face. "Oh God, Ezio..." I wanted to reach out, to touch his face again.

"Bleeding effect. Shit. I'm glad I got you out of there. Any longer and you'd have probably gone insane." Lucy sighed and shook her head.

"Bleeding effect..." I said to myself.

"We're going to have to keep you away from the Animus for awhile, until you recover." Lucy added.

I looked back down at the floor. "How did I get here? I went to sleep in my bed, and then..."

"You can thank your scumbag boyfriend for that. He was there to keep tabs on you. I'm pretty sure he put something in your food. One you fell asleep, they airlifted you here." Lucy explained.

"That son of a bitch," I said through clenched teeth. Counting to ten in my mind, I tried to calm down. "I...was someone else, too." I added.

"During desynch?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. I was a guy. At one point I was missing an arm. I think his name was... Malik. This was waaay before Alessandra though."

"Christ!" Desmond exclaimed. "You're related...to Malik?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. The bastards here, I think they already knew that."

I touched my left arm unconsciously. "This is all too crazy. I thought this shit was only a video game."

"People like to hide the truth in fiction." Lucy said.

"So, if that's true, then you're a..."

"Yep. But keep that on the down low, okay?"

I nodded. For some reason, my mind kept drifting back to Ezio. "So, uh, in that machine, Ezio..."

"Was Desmond, actually." Lucy said. My face started burning. I couldn't even look at him. _So, this feeling..._ Tears began to fall from my eyes, and I started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Hey, Alyssa? You all right?" Lucy asked. I couldn't respond, I was crying so hard. Suddenly, I felt a hand lightly touch mine. I moved my hand to meet their palm. I looked up sniffling, still crying. It was Desmond.

"It'll be all right, Alyssa." He said. His face turned a light shade of pink. "And what I said to you earlier; I meant every word."

"Desmond..." I cried even harder then, full of emotions I thought I'd never feel again. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and closed my eyes, letting the tears fall freely. We sat like that for awhile, Desmond resting his head on mine, our hands together, fingers intertwined. If I was a captive, at least I had someone I loved with me, and that made things a little better.


	16. Ch 16 New Beginnings

A/N: Finally, due to the requests of a few readers, I decided to continue. Took me long enough, right? LOL

* * *

-Part Two-

Ch 16 – New Beginnings

"Alessandra. Hurry up." Ezio said, with a hint of impatience in his voice. I furrowed my brow in slight annoyance.

"Now just wait a damn minute, _signore_." I replied. "I'm just having some difficulties with these pants." I bit my lip in concentration, fumbling with the last button.

"Do you want me to come in there and help?" Ezio's voice drifted through the door.

"Thanks, but I think your definition of 'help' would entail me losing my pants, and more." I said sternly. I heard him chuckle, and I smiled. _Right on the money._

I had been a guest at Ezio's home for nearly a month now; and in 'reality', had moved from the Abstergo compound to a well hidden Assassin hideout. Within a week of my initial "skills" test, he was convinced that I would do well as an assassin, and was dead set on training me. He also insisted I wear these ridiculous clothes, so I would appear to be a male in public, while he trained me, thus leading to this strange pants situation. After a few more moments of struggling with the strange button, I managed to finally get the thing into its hole.

"All right, Ezio. The pants are on." I said. I could hear Ezio mutter, which sounded like a softly spoken 'damn!'. I fought back the urge to laugh, not really all that surprised with his reaction for some reason. "I'm not indecent, so if you want to come in, I think you're allowed to." Not even ten seconds had passed, before I heard the door open, a small 'click' breaking the brief silence. "I just have to put on the cap and my boots, and I'll be ready." I grabbed the cap off the desk, and before I could try to put it on, Ezio was behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist, his face gently resting in the space between my neck and shoulder. "Oh, Ezio..." I said quietly.

"You even look magnificent in men's clothes, _la mia bella_." His soft murmurings gently tickled my neck. I felt my face flare up again, and let out a small giggle.

"You flatter me, my dear Ezio."

"It's the truth." He whispered.

"You only say that to get into my dress... or in this case, my pants." I laughed, and leaned my head back, slightly resting it on the side of his head.

"_Bella!_ I'm shocked that you would think I thought that way!" Ezio exclaimed in mock surprise and indignation.

"It isn't far from the truth, _amore mio_." I rolled my eyes.

"That has nothing to do with it!" Ezio laughed.

"Oh for..." I stopped myself and put my hand on my forehead. "Let me put my boots and cap on, so we can go out already. Not to say I don't enjoy this, but you seemed rather impatient earlier." I felt his arms slowly move back and away, but gave me a slight tickle on my sides. I jumped. "Bah!" I exclaimed, leaning forward to put my hair into the cap first, then slowly raised myself back up and delicately put the cap over the top of my head. Moving to the bed, I sat myself near where my boots rested, and gingerly placed my feet in them. Ezio had kept silent while I yanked on the tops of the boots, moving them up towards my shins. I looked up at him, wondering why he was so silent.

"What am I learning today, _docente_?" I asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Well," he said, stroking his chin. "I was thinking of teaching you how to pickpocket."

"Pickpocketing? Honestly, it can't be that hard, can it?" I asked in disbelief. "Besides, why would you need to steal money from people?"

"Spending money, my dear." He gave his cheesy grin again, one of the many things he did that made my heart flutter.

"You're absolutely amazing." I said sarcastically. "I just don't know what to do with you." I slipped a few of the throwing knives that Leonardo had given me into both boots. They had both agreed that it was still a little early to give me a blade of my own, insisting that I needed to learn the subtleties of being an assassin. "Oh, that's rich," I had said to Leonardo, while giving Ezio a playful eye. This made Leonardo laugh, claiming "Ezio still has yet to learn the word subtlety."

"I'm ready." I said, standing from the bed and adjusting my blouse. "Do I sufficiently look like a man now?" I winked at Ezio.

"It is a little hard to disguise your beauty, but it will do."

"There you go again, Ezio. Flattery will get you nowhere." I jabbed.

"Not true! You'd be surprised." He said, beaming with pride. I decided to not call him out.

"If I'm with you, I find it hard to be surprised anymore." I laughed.

"I'll have to take extra care to try and change that." He kept his grin, and I found myself covering my face with the palm of my right hand. Ezio moved swiftly towards me, moving my hand away from my face, and gave me a small peck on my cheek. "You know, you can't be doing that in public. People will get the wrong idea." I said, as I looked into his eyes, little shimmers of light reflecting in them, showing a handsome mischievousness.

"I'll be extra careful, then." He said, and gave me another peck, this time on my nose, which caused my cheeks to turn a light pink. "Let's go." His voice drifted off as he began to walk away. I followed right behind, to continue my training.

After a half hour of walking, we arrived at a busy plaza. People were everywhere, noises of the big city seemed to centralize from this one area. Pigeons cooed in small alleys, waiting for little morsels of food that sloppy eaters would leave behind. Rotund women gossiped and giggled in small clusters, obviously talking about how some adulterous nobleman had been caught red-handed with a courtesan, no doubt. We eventually stopped at a bakery to get a snack, and to evaluate the situation.

"Our targets are the wealthy ones." Ezio said dryly. "You'll get more, and usually they're so...large that they won't even feel you grabbing at their purse strings."

I nodded as I took a bite of my bread. I chewed as fast as I could, then swallowed, thinking of a question to ask. "So, how much do you usually get?" I wiped my mouth with my handkerchief, which I had hidden in my pants pocket.

"Depends on how much they've spent already." He said, keeping an eye on the bustling crowds. "If I had to give a number or two, I'd say between three and twenty."

"That's quite a range." I said, unsure of how profitable this might be. As if he had read my mind, he replied.

"You might or might not need to do this, but not just for money. Sometimes your 'target' will have something else you need. This is why you need this lesson." His voice was stoic and laced with a deadly seriousness.

"Right. So, how do I do this?" I asked.

"Well, you have to get up to them, usually their purses are off to the side, but you want to be behind them. Usually, I'll bump into them on 'accident' and that's when I take it. Being humble and apologizing for your clumsiness will make them forget, and they won't notice anything amiss."

"Sneaky." I added, with a smile.

"That's the way it goes, my de...I mean, _amico_." I blinked at Ezio, catching his fumble.

"I swear, you're going to ruin my disguise long before I ever will, Ezio." I sighed dejectedly.

"Argh. I know, I know." His face had scrunched up, as if he was mentally slapping himself. I giggled a little.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Ezio." I said, with a bright cheerful smile. He slowly opened his eyes, and his frown slowly morphed into a smile.

"If you say so."

"I do. So, do I get to see the master at work, then?" I asked, after finally finishing my bread. "I learn best by example." I gave him a slight nudge with my foot.

"One second. I'm looking..." He trailed off.

"Ah!" He exclaimed. "I will be right back. Watch carefully." Ezio stood up gracefully, and slowly maneuvered his way to a small group of finely dressed men. Casually walking by them, I saw his arm reach out; his hand opening, as he bumped into one of the larger men. As Ezio patted the man on the shoulder with his other hand and seemingly apologized, he deftly worked the outstretched hand toward the man's pouch and removed it from the belt. I couldn't help but stare at his prowess, and wondered where he had learned how to do it. The thought of me trying it and failing sent shivers down my spine. _If I messed up, what would happen? Lord knows I couldn't afford to make a scene..._

A hand waving in front of my face stirred me from my thoughts. "I thought I lost you there for a moment. What were you daydreaming about, hmm? Yours truly, perhaps?"

I laughed, and playfully batted at his hand. "No, not that I'm aware of, at least. But I have to say, you're pretty good at that."

"Practice. Lots of practice." He laughed back and placed the pouch on the table, as he sat down back in his seat. Raising his head to look at me, his features had settled into a stern look. "Now it is your turn." He said.

"But..." I started.

"No buts. Well, yours is just fine." He grinned. "In all seriousness, you need to learn how to do this."

"What if I'm caught?" I continued.

"Run. Run like hell." Ezio looked around. "Meet me on the roof of that building." He pointed towards a building that was slightly taller than the ones surrounding it.

"Right." I spotted a large man walking alone. "Got you..." I muttered, and stood up.

"Well, since you're on the 'hunt', so to speak, I will wait for you at our meeting spot." Ezio excused himself and walked away.

I started off quite a distance from my target, unsure of myself. _What if I get caught and can't run? What will he do to me?_ I shrugged my fears aside and decided to get on with it. Silently creeping up behind him, stretching my arm and hand like Ezio did, toward the man's purse. Soon, I felt the coarse leather and quickly pulled. The pouch fell into my hand with ease, and I slowed my pace, turning down a nearby alley, making sure I was not in sight when the portly man discovered his money went missing. Sticking the hefty purse into a pocket, I began climbing the side of the building I faced, to see where I was in comparison to the plaza. After reaching the top, I sat on the ledge to catch my breath and gaze in awe over the view of the city. Using my hand to cover the sun from my vision, I spotted the plaza a few blocks away from me. Slowly lowering myself from the roof, I continued my pilgrimage toward the tall building Ezio had pointed out.

Climbing this building was no easy feat. I silently wondered how Ezio did it so easily. After several frustrating minutes, I finally heaved myself up and over the small ledge that crowned the building. Looking up, I was greeted by a devilish grin.

"So, how did it go, Alessandra?"

"It went well, I think." I reached into my pocket and fished out the coin purse, then handed it over to Ezio.

"Excellent, amore." A soft grin crept upon his face. "You did very well. Now, let us go and see Leonardo, yes?"

"Oh! That would be wonderful. He's a very nice man." I could hardly contain my joy. The three of us had become a tightly-knit group; only leaving for training, or other miscellaneous activities. "I can't wait!" I said, excitedly.

"Well, you need to change, I suspect." Ezio winked.

"I guess so."

I began seeing the familiar lines of desynchronization, the buildings slowly tearing themselves apart by invisible seams, the landscape of Florence giving way to swirling curves and lines. Opening my eyes, I sat up in the newer animus that had been made by the assassins. Blinking slowly, I looked at Lucy and her other cohorts, Shaun and Rebecca.

"What's going on?" I said slowly.

"We're pulling Desmond out in a minute. Precautions against Bleeding Effect." Lucy said. Shaun gave an impatient grunt.

"Bloody bleeding effect."

"We have to take what we can get, Shaun. We can't go in and do what THEY were doing. Let's not stoop to their level, Ok?" Lucy snapped at Shaun. He grunted again, and turned back to his computer. "Anyway, you did a good job in there today, Alyssa. As I've noticed with Desmond, he has gained the abilities his ancestors did, and I'm kind of expecting the same with you. But I can't guarantee anything. Go get some rest."

I nodded, removing myself from the chair, and moved toward the bed that had been made for me. _I wonder what I'll learn tomorrow._


End file.
